Light of Hope

Chapter 8

It was supposed to become a bright and sunny day when the Tsukinos and Mamoru departed from the Azabu-Juban district of Tokyo.

Their family car was comfortable enough, carrying four people and their luggage for a one week trip to the bays of Kujukuri-Hama and Mamoru was really looking forward to seeing his fiancée again.

The last couple of months really haven't been that exciting from Mamoru's point of view. Diana had tried absolutely everything in order to gain more information concerning a possible pattern to find the Light of Hope, but neither the little girl, nor any sparkling Star Seed had shown up during this time.

Mamoru had taken the opportunity to go on with his studies and had been happy to pass several quite difficult exams with excellent grades. At least this side would have been sorted once he was back in his own time. Hopefully.

Also, the senshi business hadn't been touched by the presence of Diana and Mamoru. So far, it had only been Usagi's family and Luna whose minds had been manipulated by Artemis T and Mamoru was far away from doing anything like that to the Sailor soldiers.

"Frankly speaking, it could weaken their fighting capabilities once their minds are influenced by Artemis T." The little grey cat had pointed out once.

Particularly Ray's spiritual strengths could been disabled by using such a tool and since this was one of her best weapons in order to fight certain youmas, Mamoru had spoken himself against using anything like that to the senshi.

The other power of Artemis T - erase certain memories from their minds - unfortunately could only be used once and was quite tricky as well.

"There is a certain danger of erasing more things that we want to and thus, again will not help us in this case." Diana had explained to him.

So overall, they were still right at the start of their mission but at least they hadn't damaged or changed anything in this time.

While Kenji, Ikuko, Shingo and Mamoru were driving in the car, the raven haired man was deeply sunken in his thoughts.

Apart from her slight emotional outburst when she found out about Rays and Mamoru's so called 'relationship', Usagi hardly had any contact with her far relative Endy ever since then.

For some reason, she had avoided him and Mamoru was quite depressed because of this fact. She didn't show up and asked for tutoring, she didn't hang around with him in front of the tv, she had become a phantom again like at the beginning of his stay.

He knew that he didn't belong to this past, he knew that she wasn't supposed to know the truth about him and her but Mamoru missed her so much.

The few days she had planned to spend with Ray, Amy and Luna had reminded Mamoru how it feels like being without her and he didn't want this any more. Usagi was his family. She and their future daughter completed his life and Mamoru wanted to feel this again.

"We have a good run, there is hardly any traffic on the roads. I think we shall approach shortly our destination." Kenji cheerfully sung from his drivers seat and thus got Mamoru out of his daydreaming.

"Endy, have you ever been to this lovely side of Japan?" Ikuko turned her head around and smiled at Mamoru.

"I always thought of going there but never really had the time, I guess." He lied to her. When he was six years old, he was actually about to go on a trip with his parents but they died in a car accident before so he never got the opportunity to visit this place settled in the prefecture of Chiba.

He had to lie since Ikuko wasn't supposed to know this secret of him which he had buried deep inside his heart.

Ikuko turned her attention back to the street and uttered happily